Faded
by kanakya
Summary: Moth has an unexpected encounter with fate.


Moth fluttered forward along with the other fairies as they were summoned. She waited for Mustardseed to finish before speaking. "Ready!" The line poured out automatically. It seemed as all was normal, as if everything was playing out as it should have. But strangely enough, she was not spoken to afterwards, unlike the others. Bottom has spoken to Peaseblossom, even! (Who was quite well-known for being the sassiest out of their little group). Yet, he had not spoken to Moth. Oh, no, not a single phrase or glance was directed at the little fairy after she had greeted Bottom. It was as if... she wasn't there. When Mustardseed tried to pass Moth, she simply went through her, as if she were a ghost. This action made poor Moth's eyes widen in disbelief and utter astonishment at her passing friend. "Balk! Faeries, please do not go!" She whimpered and reached out after the others and they simply seemed to disregard her, flying by to join Bottom and Titania. "What madness is this? Such a cruel trick! Hark your nonsense, I beg of thee!" Despite the fact that her tone presented itself as if she were full of rage, truly, sadness and hopelessness dominated over any anger that she was feeling at the moment. "Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Mustardseed – Do not go!" She began to flutter her wings so she could rush after them to make up for lost time, but she stole a glance at her hand as she lowered before moving on. Her heart stopped like a broken clock that had been smashed with one single horrific blow. It was fading. Her hand, which had been normal just seconds ago – was fading away now. But no pain came from the act. An awful mixture of disbelief, denial, horror, and sadness hit Moth. She let out a caterwaul, wishing that her friends would stop whatever trick they were pulling and that they would come and help her. That was it! This was all a part of their little ploy. The silly and childish game they were pulling on poor Moth. They were trying to make her go mad and think she was disappearing. But this joke had exceeded its innocence. It was simply wretched now. With one sudden burst of absolute fury, Moth launched herself forward. Only, when she got half way – her wings tore and evaporated into the sky. She let out a last-minute yelp as she plummeted to the ground, landing on her back. Moth had fallen before. She had fallen when catching a large basket of berries and the weight was too much to bear, or when Mustardseed tackled her fiercely and they both crashed onto the forest floor, giggling. But never, ever, had she fallen in this way. Unable to get up. Unable to fly away. And her incapacitation was not just a fault of her wings. Her feet had faded away, just like both of her hands now had. Even now as the petite fairy looked on at her friends hopelessly, the vanishing effect had spread all the way up to her waist rapidly. It was now, the pitiful immortal thought – perhaps, this was no joke. Perhaps, she was, truly, fading from existence. Moth felt as though she was to go mad. Why was this happening? Was this a dream, or delusion, or anything of the sort? Nothing the naïf girl could have eaten would do this. She and the rest of her friends knew the effects of every berry that grew in the forest. But the who what when and where mattered no more. As she was pondering on and on, her neck had half disappeared already. Wet, sloppy tears cascaded down Moth's face, and she felt bereaved of any happiness at all. A final thought appeared in her mind as she was being erased from existence. A thought that she had locked away because it had caused her so much depression in the past. A thought that was no longer just a thought – but a fact. The fact that she was not important. Her friends that all shared camaraderie between each other could go on without her. The beloved fairy queen, Titania, would continue to rule and demand her other servants to do the tasks that Moth had once been assigned to carry out. And moth was right. She was simply a one-line throw away. A placid little background character that no one would ever care about. The final thing that Moth felt before ceasing to exist – was relief that she would no longer be such a burden.


End file.
